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 The
Dangerous Lives of Female Actors | Jodie Foster and Jena Malone
sit and do some girl talkin'
an
emily blunt interview
Jodie Foster has always been an influence. She's a smart strong
chickbabe who's made and kept a career in a treacherous
sea of mansharks. She also believes in jumping in and taking risks,
breaking the mold, being her own boss, etc...etc...all the things
little girls want from life.
She's
produced the new coming of age flick The
Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys starring Vincent
D'Onofrio (an acting god), herself and a gaggle of extreme
'child' talents ; Kieran Culkin, newbie Emile Hirsch and mirror-
pathed- Foster- styled Jena Malone.
Thrill of thrills I got to sit with Jena and Jodie a posh Beverly
Hills hotel and chat...I didn't even steal soap this time folks!
Actually it was because the soap at this par-tic-u-lar place is
rather blasé' for such a swanky establishment so why bother?
Anyway, here's the girls. Enjoy.
EMILY:
Jodie, what attracted you to TDLOAB as a producer? [wow
are her teeth white!]
JODIE:
Ya know it was a great script. So that was the biggest thing and
also I've really thinking about boys. Thinking about raising boys
and how different they are and what's the best ways to learn about
them... emotionally.... spiritually. [ of course she's saying
this because she's a mom you know- of a boy! The confusing little
beings...]
EMILY:
When did you first become aware of the novel the film's based
on by Chris Furman?
JODIE:
You know I don't know how many years it's been now but it was
when Jay Shapiro brought it to us after his having read the novel.
We decided like four years ago…maybe five.
EMILY: This is Peter Care's first feature film. He's done
oodles of commercials and music videos. How did you select him?
JODIE:
He came with the deal. He came with Jay. Jay said he was somebody
he'd worked with in commercials. It's somebody who has a great
deal of passion for this so 'I'd like to keep him in it.' And
I've made a lot of movies with first time directors. Many, many,
many. You always just throw your hat in the air…you never
know how it's going to turn out. What you hope is what they have
done before at least reflects a little bit of where they're headed
…but very often it doesn't. So, doing the 1st director thing
is …you just never know how it's going to turn out.
EMILY:
In the press notes you mention how perfect Kieran Culkan is as
character 'TIM.' You're quoted as saying " I think he's going
through a lot of similar things and that really makes my heart
go out to him…"
JODIE:
Well he's [Tim] unconscious. I think Kieran is good unconscious
to a degree and I think he'd probably agree. He doesn't think
a lot an sometimes he seems more innocent on the outside and then
when you really sit down and talk to him…
EMILY:
Jodie, Nunzilla is just a hoot! Is this the first time you've
had one of your characters animated?
JODIE:
[laughter] Yeah, I think so! I don't think Nell would be in to
it! I did a lot of cartoons when I was a kid. I would come in
afterwards so it would not look anything like me. Do the voices.
I loved it! I like doing animation!
EMILY:
Jena, how was it to be in such a heavy film? Were you nervous?
JENA:
No, not really at all. Weirdly enough because I was going into
it there was sort of a whole cast of young people and I hadn't
worked on something like that for a while. I don't know, usually
you're just the token child on the set! Okay, there are some kids
around whatever…but here I knew all my scenes were going
to be with younger people my age and I didn't feel like a young
person going into an all-adult world. It was not like 'okay it's
going to be very professional... all adult.' I thought
it was going to be a lot of fun. But also our guideline was the
script and what we were working on. What we were all sort of….were
trying to do…really wanting to do and stay true to that.
The thing with the script is it's so true! So raw!
And so beautiful that we all sort of wanted to keep that
same sense of it when we were going through it.
EMILY:
Did you feel, then, that you connected to the script?
JENA:
Unfortunately it was hard not to connect to it. I remember reading
it and just being completely thrown into their world….I mean
I'm not a young fourteen year old boy at all but at the time I
was fifteen when we shot it and its so real. Your going through
things and you don't know why. I was reading it and it was so
naturalistic. I was already seeing these characters in
my head. I was already investing like an audience member watching
and walking away saying 'yes that's exactly how I feel and that's
exactly how I would want something like this portrayed.' So it's
just coming into it saying how true it is.
EMILY:
Jodie...Youv've got the big 4-0 this year right Jodie? How's it
feel?
JODIE:
[laughter - listen to an audio of her
reply] I think forties a great time! Some of your goals have
been met and the ones that haven't have been met you've kind of
figured it out….at least you know what job you're in what
career your in…you have a lot less to worry about. I think
it shows. Physically you still feel as good as ever.
EMILY:
What do you do these days?
JODIE:
I run around after a four year old pretty much! No in fact one
of the hardest things about having young children is you give
up everything about yourself. Just you know getting your trunk
fixed is a deal. I mean its freaky. It is the least self-centered
thing in the world.
EMILY:
Jena, Peter Care said one of the reasons you got the role is due
to his being late and he saw you all meek on the edge of the couch….he
said ' oh, there's Marge!' Was that planned young lady? [laughter]
JENA:
That's hilarious! [laughter] No. I don't know the whole auditioning
process in this was sort of a torturous one because …its
so weird all the projects that I really care about…the ones
I can't get out of my head they're the ones that I always feel
that I blow in the audition. I never really get it right. I remember
sitting on that couch being completely terrified- not knowing
what I was going to do.
EMILY: You really wanted the role at that point- after reading
and loving the script so deeply.
JENA:
Yeah absolutely. So I went in and kind of blew it a couple of
times and the last time I did an okay job.
EMILY:
So that old Hollywood story of "we just wanted her"
isn't true?
JODIE: Waddya mean?
EMILY: Well, that whole no one but her thing I've heard that 97
times in a week from many directors.
JODIE: [laughter] We knew what we wanted way before he knew what
he wanted! [laughter]
EMILY: Is this some kind of weird de je vou being here Jodie?
I mean this is her Taxi Driver. [joking to Jena] You do know that
Jodie was in that film?
JODIE:
[laughter] A long long time ago.
EMILY:
She played a character, that at the time, just blew people's minds
and this character you're playing here now is going to shock quite
a few people. Did you think about that? Like this role's going
to just get me there.
JENA: I don't know…I don't know if you can think of roles
that way. You know? That you're going to do this and everyone's
going think. If I was sitting in the audience watching this and
I didn't have any prior recognition of what the film was? I would
be so excited seeing a young female character like that! In existence
as soon as you create it it's interesting and you can learn from
it and it's out there. It's not just some idea in your mind.
EMILY:
'Margie' is a strong character.
JODIE:
That's a good point and I have to say it could have gone either
way. That's all the fun stuff you do as an actor!
EMILY:
Does your son know what you do yet?
JODIE:
Yeah, I think he's starting to. He thought I was in construction
for a long time! [laughter] I mean he'd come to the set and see
and hear the hammering and say ' did you bring your tool belt
today momma?' [laughter]
EMILY:
Well thank you ladies. Good luck with this wonderful film.
JODIE:
Thanks glad you liked it
JENA:
Thanks, that's nice.
Jena had a lttle to say about girl's roles too listen HERE.
What
a thrill to see these two talents on the same screen. Jodie a
strong force in Hollywood brilliant enough to spot the next generation
of talent stretching from the fertilizer. Jena Malone is intense.
She's mature well beyond her years and I think we will be seeing
some great things from her as the years go on. Jodie's going away
'out of town' for her birthday, her 40th birthday! Wow, I still
remember watching The Little Girl Down The Lane on some
late night show thinking how cool is this 'kid.' Now I got to
meet her....life's pretty neat.
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